Cruising Catamarans Made Easy

Interested in exploring the comfort, speed and stability of a beautiful cruising catamaran? ASA’s Cruising Catamarans Made Easy will set you off on the right course. The textbook is the ideal companion to our ASA 114, Cruising Catamaran certification, and will take you from bowsprit to stern rail and all points in between, describing and illustrating how to sail these beamy, twin engine cruising crafts. Whether your aspirations are for chartering, owning or simply sailing on a big cat, this book is essential reading. It examines the differences between monohulls and catamarans, introduces the language of multihulls, and prepares sailors for the nuances of handling a cruising catamaran under sail and under power.

Like our previous textbooks, Cruising Catamarans Made Easy is illustrated with rich, detailed photos and easy-to-understand text to help students learn quickly. It offers invaluable information on how to operate a cruising catamaran, and how to get the most out of your next multihull sailing adventure.Lenny Shabes, ASA’s Chairman of the Board.

Cruising catamarans are the fastest growing segment in the sailing world. Heralded for their incredible comfort at a mooring or under sail, more and more cruising destinations are jam packed with what, are in essence, self-sufficient little islands for friends and family. They are stable, fast and readily available for charter in almost every exotic location on the planet.

Published in full color and containing best-in-class illustrations along with world-class photography from renowned sailing photographers, Billy Black, Nicholas Claris, Sharon Greene and others, Cruising Catamarans Made Easy was written by ASA Instructor Evaluators Andy Batchelor and Lisa Batchelor Frailey. The 90-page book was also co-edited by Peter Isler, two time America’s Cup winner and Chairman of ASA’s Educational Committee, and Jeremy McGeary, a 30-year veteran sailing writer and editor. The book also features a foreword by world-renowned American pioneer catamaran racer, Cam Lewis.

Learn how to sail fast, safe, and under control

“Catamarans excel when reaching — sailing across the wind — and even a very cushy and relatively heavy cruising catamaran can outpace cruising monohulls of a comparable size on these points of sail.”

“Modern cruising catamarans are highly resistant to capsize. It would take severe wind and sea conditions to invert one – the same sea state in which a monohull might also be vulnerable.”

Explore the wide open spaces in a bridgedeck saloon.

“In fine weather, much of the social activity takes place outdoors in the cockpit and surrounding area. Sheltered from the sun under a rigid roof or soft bimini but open to the breeze, the cockpit has abundant seating for the entire crew and is perfect for relaxing and dining. The aft decks of the hulls step down to the waterline and provide easy access for swimming and for boarding dinghies and water toys such as paddleboards. The swim platforms are also a great place for taking an after-swim freshwater shower.”

“More than a course textbook, Cruising Catamarans Made Easy is also ideal for familiarizing more experienced monohull sailors with the evolving catamaran world”Peter Isler, two time America’s Cup winner and Chairman of ASA’s Educational Committee

Become adept at maneuvering with “twin screws.”

“In powerboat lingo, twin engines and twin propellers are known as “twin screws,” but on a catamaran, you have twin screws on steroids. Those two propellers, one beneath each hull, are far enough apart that, operated singly or together, they can efficiently turn the boat in a very tight space. You can use this leverage to your advantage, especially when maneuvering in close quarters.”

Find out about seagull strikers and anchor bridles.

“On a monohull, the forestay is attached at or near the stem, where the hull sides and the deck form a very strong and rigid structure. On a catamaran, the forestay is attached at the middle of the forward crossbeam, which would bend upward under the forestay tension if it weren’t suitably reinforced. The seagull striker provides that reinforcement, often in the form of an A-shaped metal fabrication braced by steel cables.”